Terror in Resonance Overview:
Two terrorists who go by the name of Sphinx send menacing videos warning of impending attacks on Tokyo and then carry out acts of terrorism.
However something is strange as Terror in Resonance sets up its tale. In all the chaos and explosions no one is killed. For one detective, there is now a race against time to figure out what is going on and what is behind these attacks. For the duo known as Sphinx, it’s a race against time to get their message across.
For others, it’s a race against time to stop that message at any cost.
That said, it was my pick for favourite anime from the Summer 2014 season.
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Terror in Resonance Review:
We’ve seen a lot of these movies, series, books, etc of late that seem to look at the underlying causes of terrorism and what makes someone villainous. These stories look at motive and reason and also the injustices that exist in the fundamental structures inherent within society that so many people accept without question. They make us think for a moment and then we carry on with our lives with very little changing.
Or in some cases people just avoid them because they don’t want to see terrorists given a voice in their fiction. They’d prefer them just to be the faceless villains and leave it there. And you can understand that if a story is glorifying the act of terrorism.
Terror In Resonance (or Zankyou no Terror) follows Nine and Twelve, our teenage terrorists as they plan and act on their terrorist plots. However, what it doesn’t do is glorify their actions or make the audience feel these characters are the modern day Robin Hood’s. Their actions are acts of terrorism and destruction and while the characters themselves are cast in sympathetic lights at times, their actions are not.
That I think is what made me pay attention.
This isn’t the V for Vendetta story where we set off fireworks and have an orchestra playing while demolish a building. This is serious and the actions and their consequences are serious and playing it that way, it makes me actually want to know more about the two responsible and why they are acting the way they are. Not to excuse their actions, but just to understand.
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And the picture that is painted as this series goes on is bleak even if it is a little predictable. Government experimentation on children and the ongoing consequences for those involved (who survived) sits at the heart but it is more the cover-ups and the way power is abused that drive our characters. And not just the would-be terrorists.
Even our detective in Terror in Resonance has been at the mercy of power battles within the government and department and while he still continues to try to do his job, it is obvious that he frustrated with the corruption surrounding him.
Then we have Lisa. A normal school girl who has been swept up in events (or so we would say if we didn’t take a closer look). Lisa allows herself to be swept away by events and she does so at first with reckless abandon because she has given up on the society presented in Terror in Resonance.
Bullying, emotional insecurities and an unstable family life have pushed her to the edge. She is already ready to break but has no means of escape from this life. Her encounter with Nine and Twelve give her a slim ray of hope and she jumps on it.
Despite the fictional nature of so much of the plot so many of the themes are ones a modern audience will connect with.
If Nine and Twelve were actually blood-thirsty murderers this would be a truly terrible development but in this instance what we see instead is a girl learning the bigger picture of injustice in the world and slowly finding who she is and what she needs to stand for.
That isn’t to say that Lisa undergoes some amazing character transformation and comes out the other side a shining example of morality. Lisa simply has to put herself back together again and learn how to live in the world.
She very easily could have become a random victim of the violence or cover up, she could have become crazed with the idea of revenge of murder or direct action, and she could have simply been pushed far enough that she would end her own life. Instead, she faces the tragedy around her head on and learns to deal with it.
This is an ongoing mission and we end Terror in Resonance with Lisa’s journey only just beginning but the events of the story have left a lasting impression on her being.
Alright, I’ll admit the plot kind of flails at times. Too many coincidences, lucky guess and random events hold together what is meant to be a masterminded series of events. If you think about any of the encounters between Nine, Twelve, Five and the police you will find plot holes and be able to point excitedly and say, ‘see!’.
Certainly, by mid-way the plot is questionable but the ending of Terror in Resonance at least offers a clarity that is rarely found in anime.
And far be it from me to criticise anyone for criticising. I’ll admit plot holes are a problem, particularly in a piece that is built around mind games and the like.
However, I’ll defend Terror In Resonance on this point. I feel the themes and characters are by far the strength of the series and they shine. The plot is simply there to hold it all together and move us from one question to the next and to push the characters to the next part of their journey. That may be a terrible justification but it’s the one I’m going to stick to for the time being. And I’ll certainly accept that others don’t see it that way.
The music and atmosphere of this show are perfectly matched. It sucks you right in and doesn’t let go. I find this series absolutely binge worthy.
In terms of a recommendation, I really feel this is a great story for discussion. There are so many views on the issues raised and as a conversation started it works very well. That said, it is dark and violent and at times distressing, so people who aren’t big on that should probably avoid. Also, it isn’t quite as clever as it would like to be at times (the airport scene being a great example of this).
If you’ve watched Terror In Resonance, let us know what you thought.
Thank-you for reading 100 Word Anime.
Join the discussion in the comments.
Karandi James